Constant C Review – Yoshimi Battles Gravity and Time

Constant C Review – Yoshimi Battles Gravity and Time

I can’t say no to adorable robots. You put one in front of me and immediately my eyes will light up wondering what sort of adorable mayhem my new robot buddy and I can get into. In comes Constant C, an indie puzzle-platformer starring, yes, an adorable robot. What sort of misadventures can my new friend and I get into? Find out after the commercial break…er, page break.

Constant C begins on an abandoned spaceship. You wake up as a robot with no memory of what occurred on the ship. After making your way around the debris you encounter A.I., an intelligent super-computer that is literally a giant stationary terminal. As such, it employs you and your robot powers (more on that later) to help rebuild the wreckage of the ship. While the art style is reminiscent of 2D platformers, it is highly detailed and employs surprisingly cinematic techniques to engross you in its ever growing narrative. What begins as a simple reconnaissance mission soon leads way to some surprising twists, all beautifully told through crisp visuals and engaging characters.

But of course it would be too easy if all you had to do was jump from one place to another. You’re in space. Space! What sort of shenanigans happen in space? Well, gravity is kinda messed up in space. Oh and time! Time’s kinda crooked in space as well. Luckily, you’re a robot with mastery over gravity and time. You’re surrounded by what the game describes as a “Time Field,” a small force field that animates static objects stuck in time. Crates stuck in the middle of falling? Get it within your Time Field and it will move in real time down its proper gravitational pull. Speaking of which…

Gravity is also kind of screwy; rooms are upside down, right-side up, and your objectives are positioned in some far away space. By pulling levers, gravity will shift towards different directions and you along with it. The two concepts of time and gravity make up the game but trust me, they become increasingly difficult to master over the course of the game. There are some frustrating areas that I felt sometimes were dictated by luck only to figure out by the end that positioning and precise actions are key to success. All-in-all it’s a pretty heady puzzle game and the fluid animations and story make the whole thing worth progressing, even if you simply want to play individual levels for the thrill of the game.

I liked Constant C. It’s an immensely polished game that deserves your attention if only to enjoy a unique puzzle experience. Luckily, the humorous story is definitely worth the entry price and if that’s not enough, the soundtrack was a constant highlight throughout the game. But what really makes Constant C special is just enjoyable the sci-fi characters are and how humorously alive the whole world feels. From your robot protagonist to the characters you meet along the way, this is sci-fi closer to Portal than 2001 and that’s always my personal preference.